Colossus
by Silver Dog Demon
Summary: What if Roy Minor was on the plane with the other convicts?  Warning: graphic violence.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hey guys, Silver here with another No Ordinary Family fanfic. My muse seems to enjoy this fandom quite a bit. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

'_italic_' = thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own these characters or make a profit from this story.

Colossus - Prologue

Roy Minor was sitting in a wheelchair towards the back of a plane. His wrists were bound by handcuffs attached to his wheelchair which was secured to the floor. Roy snorted and shook his head, looking out the window. '_Like I'd get far without these chains anyway. Idiots._' Once the trilsettum serum had worn off so too had his ability to walk, the old car accident injury returning. '_That little bastard turned me in! Told that Powell freak where I was! If I could get my hands on him now . . .' _Roy continued to dwell on his perceived injustices as the plane took off. He and the other prisoners had been told that they were being transferred to another secure facility.

A couple of hours later Roy was awakened from a light slumber by the sound of the Captain's voice over the intercom.

"Good evening gentlemen, I do hope your flight has been sufficient so far, seeing as how it's about to get worse. I'm afraid you will not be going to another facility as you were told. No, we've a much better idea for you," the Captain laughed before continuing, "The crew and I will be taking our leave from this flight and you are on your own. Don't worry though, I've already put the plane into descent and it should make a nice _soft_ landing soon." He laughed again.

'_What? What the hell's he talking about?' _Roy thought it was some sort of joke. The other prisoners were looking at each other, confused.

"For those of you lucky enough to survive the ensuing crash, congratulations, you've just earned yourself a new job with some excellent perks. Goodnight and good luck gentlemen."

With that, the Captain and crew, with parachutes strapped to their backs, opened the plane door. A brutal cold wind burst through the cabin and the prisoners began to realize this wasn't a cruel joke. Each crew member jumped from the plane, not before giving a wave and a vindictive smile to the convicts trapped on board.

Roy felt panic overwhelm him - his heartbeat increased, his palms were sweaty. He was as lost and confused as the others. Furious too.

'_Those sons'a'bitches! I ain't no criminal and I don't deserve to die like one!'_

Roy struggled futilely against his chains, as did the others. Somewhere behind him he heard a hissing, like a pressurized tank being opened. All of them could feel the pressure changing and, looking out the window, Roy could see the earth rising to meet them at a horrifying speed.

He yelled and struggled harder, the panic taking over. The chains still did not yield. His brain was getting fuzzy with from all the chaos - dropping pressure, the earth rising, the noise of the inmates struggling, and panic. Doom was only moments away but still they struggled for freedom and a chance to live.

The plane finally kissed the ground and groaned as it was torn apart. Metal creaked and glass shattered. Everyone would have been tossed around violently if not for the chains holding them to their seats. The metal bird split into pieces, all of them tumbling over the ground at hundreds of miles per hour.

The last thing Roy remembered before losing consciousness was a tingling sensation through his body. He could feel his legs again.

A/N: Well, there's the prologue. What's gonna happen now? Worry not, I've already written the whole story, all that's left is typing it up and posting. Hope you enjoyed. More to come soon!

-Silver


	2. Chapter One

A/N: WARNING this chapter contains some serious violence/child abuse, so if you can't handle it, Don't. Read. It. Otherwise please enjoy. I needed Chris to be broken and thought Roy the best for the job. Who can better damage a person than their own parent? What can I say, I love broken people and healing them so don't get too mad at me for what I'm about to do. ^-^

Oh, and this story is slightly AU - Daphne never erased Chris' memories, so they're still together and he knows about her abilities.

Here's the next chapter, please enjoy.

'_italic_' = thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own these characters or make a profit from this story.

Colossus - Chapter One

Roy awoke feeling far better than he expected to, having survived a plane crash and all.

"Glad to see you are well, Mr. Minor."

Roy opened his eyes to an attractive blond with a smirk and devious eyes. Somehow his section of the plane hadn't been smashed to pieces and remained intact. He was even stuck in his wheelchair still. The irony was not lost on him.

"Who the hell're you and what do you want?"

"That's no way to talk to your new boss Roy, especially after the gift I've given you."

"What are you talking about?"

The woman sighed, "Your legs Roy, you can walk again and this time it's permanent, you won't be needing any more injections. You have also regained your abilities - strength, invulnerability, whatever else may present itself. Those gifts are yours so long as you work for Global Tech. I will be your supervisor, you answer only to me. Should you not want to work for Global Tech those gifts can and will be removed. Your choice."

Roy sighed and looked at the woman warily, "Global Tech, huh? What's your name and what do I gotta do?"

The woman smiled and began to release Roy from his chains, "My name is Victoria and I am second in command at Global Tech. We want your son, Chris-"

"Chris? Why?" Roy spat the name, anger gleaming in his eyes.

"Do not interrupt me. Chris is a link to the Powell family who've become a thorn in the side of Global Tech. Get to Chris, do whatever you want to him - enough damage that a typical hospital will be unable to do anything for him. Leave him for the Powell's daughter to find. That is all you need to know. Now go. You will be paid and transportation has been arranged."

Roy rose from his seat and tested his new legs. He nodded at Victoria, an evil smile on his lips, and left.

-A Few Days Later-

Chris smiled when he looked at the clock and realized it was time to go. He had plans to hang out with Daphne after work and, sure enough, she was waiting for him after he had clocked out. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a small kiss.

"Hey."

"Hey to you too." Daphne smiled up at him.

"What would you like to do today?"

"Hmmm, can we take your bike for a ride? It's been kind of a tough day and riding is so relaxing."

"Sounds like a plan. We can get food afterward too."

Daphne giggled, "You're always hungry!"

Chris smiled back at her, "A guy's gotta eat right?"

Daphne just shook her head, smiling. She grabbed his hand and they walked to his motorcycle nearby. Chris handed her a second helmet, put his own on, and got on the bike after Daphne. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the feel of her arms wrapped around his waist. With a smile on his face he started the bike up and they took off. Neither of them noticed the man following them.

After their bike ride Chris and Daphne stopped at a sandwich shop for a quick snack. They picked a table near the front window and sat down to enjoy their meal.

"So what stressed you out today, Daph?"

"Oh, nothing huge, just that Calc test was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Stresses me out when I don't do well."

"I'm sure you got an A+++, _Hermione," _Chris dodged the potato chip thrown at him_, " _And even if you didn't, I still love you."

"Hey Mr. Bad Boy, don't make fun of me!" Daphne was smiling, "Nice Harry Potter reference by the way, didn't know you read them."

"Thank you, thank you. And yeah, I read a lot, especially when things got tough with my dad. Kind of an escape, y'know?"

"Yeah . . . Speaking of, how have you been doing at your mom's?"

"Good. Less work, more studying. You'll be happy to know that I've only got a C in one class, the rest are B's."

"Chris that's great! I'm so proud of you." Her beaming smile told Chris she was being sincere. He blushed and looked out the window.

"Thanks Daph."

Daphne grabbed his hand across the table, "Anytime Chris."

A little while later they left the shop and returned to Chris' motorcycle.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"No, but I have to go back to my Dad's place and finish packing up. We can hang out after that if you want, should only take a couple hours."

"Sounds great."

They both climbed on the motorcycle and headed towards Daphne's home. The man had followed them, careful to be unseen. He had been tailing Chris for days now, learning his schedule, waiting for the right time to strike. He had overheard their conversation and saw a golden opportunity present itself. A smile crept onto his face.

'_Perfect_.'

-Next Day-

Chris approached his old house with dread. So many bad memories . . . He parked his bike in the driveway and went inside. He headed towards the kitchen to start there but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. Chris nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around. A fist slammed into his face and sent him sprawling to the floor. He looked up to see who his attacker was and his face lost all color.

"Dad, wh-what are you doing-"

"Shut up you worthless piece of shit! You're not my son, family doesn't betray each other!"

_'He's here? Out of jail? Walking again? How?'_ These thoughts were tumbling through Chris' mind as he tried to scramble away from his father on hands and knees. He didn't get far.

Roy grabbed his shirt by the collar and threw him across the room. Chris slammed into the wall and fell to the floor, his left shoulder throbbing.

"Please, Dad, I'm sorry, I-" Chris was unable to finish his sentence as Roy grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. Chris clawed at his fingers, trying to break free.

"Thought I said you ain't my kid anymore. But you never were all that bright. Guess I'll have to beat it into ya."

With that he tossed Chris to the side, into another wall. Roy only smiled when he saw Chris try to crawl away down the hall. He let Chris get close to the bathroom before he grabbed one of his feet and twisted him onto his back. Chris yelped and kicked at Roy trying to get free. Roy just laughed at his attempts until Chris kicked him in the face. Then he was furious.

"How dare you boy! I gave you life and this is how you treat me!"

"Fuck you!"

Roy grabbed his foot again and dragged Chris towards himself. He straddled Chris' waist and held both of his hands above his head. With Roy's other hand he began to pummel Chris' defenseless torso and face.

Chris screamed and yelled and struggled as best he could against Roy's iron grip. He stopped screaming when he felt the breath rush out of him. Chris could feel his ribs cracking under Roy's superhuman punches. His organs weren't doing well either - he could feel nothing but sharp throbbing pain through his abdomen and chest. It was so hard to breath and painful wet coughs wracked his body. Still his father did not stop. Chris just prayed for it all to end. He could feel the darkness coming and welcomed it. He pictured Daphne, wanting her face to be the last thing he saw.

Roy stopped, sensing Chris was no longer there. His fury grew.

"Oh no you don't, boy. You don't get out that easy."

Chris was jolted awake by a sharp slap to the face and could feel himself being dragged. He was too weak to even grasp at the carpet. Roy pulled him into the bathroom and dropped him on the floor. Chris groaned.

"You don't know real pain yet, but you will."

Roy pulled off Chris' shirt and removed his own belt. He kicked Chris to get him onto his stomach. He groaned as the cold tiles met his inflamed skin. He could barely breath and felt like throwing up. Roy folded his belt in half and brought it down on Chris' back once, twice, three times. Chris tried to scream but could only manage a whimper. His flesh burned and tears stung his eyes.

Countless times the belt came down on Chris' back and still Roy's rage was not sated. He removed Chris' pants and boxers to further humiliate and hurt the boy. Roy struck his buttocks and thighs with the belt. There wasn't an inch of untouched skin. Chris sobbed and his nose was running.

"You deserve this you worthless little punk!" Roy snarled.

Chris' sobs wracked his body. He just wanted the pain to stop. He was close to passing out again. Roy stopped whipping him with the belt, looking for further ways to humiliate his son. His eyes caught the mirror and a wicked idea struck him. Roy shattered the mirror with his fist and picked up a large shard that fell into the sink.

He straddled Chris' back and grabbed his hair and pulled back. Roy began hacking at Chris' hair, not caring if he sliced the scalp too. Chunks of hair fell to the floor, blood pouring from each cut, and Chris kept sobbing.

"P-please stop. I-I'm sorry. So s-sorry for what I did. Please D-Dad, please stop."

Roy grinned and leaned down to whisper in Chris' ear.

"Sorry Kiddo, your lesson's not done yet. I'm gonna make sure you never forget this."

He slammed Chris' face into the floor, breaking his nose. His hair was a mess of different lengths with gashes covering his scalp. Roy then turned the mirror shard to Chris' back and began slicing it up with long shallow cuts. He did the same to Chris' buttocks and thighs as well. Chris's body was shivering and he continued to sob and cry out, begging for it to stop.

As a finishing touch Roy carved 'worthless' into Chris' right forearm. He dropped the mirror shard and stood up to give Chris his parting gift. Roy unzipped his pants, pulled out his member and relieved himself all over Chris. Chris screamed and writhed in agony, the warm fluid setting all of his injuries on fire. Roy made sure to miss nothing from head to foot. When finished, he made himself decent and smirked down at his son.

"Hope you learned your lesson well, Kid."

With that, Roy delivered a swift kick to Chris' head. He heard a sickening snap of the boy's neck. Chris went limp and welcomed the oncoming darkness.

Finally satisfied, Roy turned and left.

A/N: I know, I'm a terrible person . . . please forgive my terrible mind. The good news is that this isn't real, just fanfiction. And there will be a new chapter soon! So there's that right? Please review.

-Silver


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Well here we go again! Next chapter, please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own these characters or make a profit from this story.

Colossus - Chapter Two

Daphne pulled up to Chris' old house, it had been a couple hours since school ended and they had agreed she would meet him here. She walked up to the front door and knocked. There was no answer.

_'Hmm, that's weird, his motorcycle's here. Maybe he's listening to his Ipod?'_

Figuring that to be the case, Daphne let herself in. She looked in the kitchen first only to find it empty so she went to the back hallway.

"Chris?" She couldn't hear anything but continued to walk down the hallway.

When she was close to the bathroom a horrible stench reached her nose, making her eyes water. _'Oh my God, why does it smell like pee?' _She reached the bathroom and peered inside. And screamed. Blood. Everywhere. Chris . . .

_'No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening.'_ Tears filled her eyes at the sight of her boyfriend on the floor looking utterly _broken. _Daphne couldn't keep the contents of her stomach down and threw up in the hallway, heaving until there was nothing left.

Shaking, she approached Chris to check for a pulse. It was difficult to find given the odd angle of his neck but she knew better than to try to move it incase she only did more harm. She found a pulse but it was barely there. Daphne backed away from him into the hallway and pulled her cell phone from her purse. She first dialed 9-1-1 and then her father.

"Hey honey, what's up?"

"D-daddy . . ." Daphne could barely speak, overcome with emotion.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"I-it's Chris . . . h-he's been hurt. It's s-so bad . . . there's, there's blood everywhere."

"Daph, I'll be right there, okay?" Just hold on. Your mom and I are coming."

"O-okay . . ." Daphne hung up.

She was shaking so badly, her arms wrapped around herself, eyes transfixed on her love, rocking herself back and forth. Daphne wanted so badly to wrap her arms around Chris and hold him, make everything better, but she couldn't. It was a crime scene. Instead she sat and stared, sobbing, wondering what had just happened.

It wasn't long until the ambulance, police, and her parents arrived. The paramedics sent her outside to speak with police. She had to be escorted out by an officer, too in shock to move. Once Daphne saw her parents she ran into their arms sobbing and shaking horribly.

"Shhh, honey, it's going to be okay. We'll get through this." Stephanie held her daughter, stroking her hair and whispering gently. Jim had his arms around wife and daughter, at a loss for words. An officer approached them.

"I'm sorry Miss, but we're going to need to get your statement."

Daphne sniffed and turned to the officer nodding her head. Leaving her parent's embrace Daphne followed the officer to another area to give her statement. As she was doing that Jim and Stephanie watched as the paramedics brought Chris out on a stretcher. They gasped at what they saw. A sheet covered the lower half of his body. Chris' torso was bare; black and blue bruises covering every inch of skin, even his face. The poor kid was a mess of cuts, welts, bruises, and blood; his skin was wet and his hair was beyond salvaging. His neck was in a brace and he had a backboard placed beneath him. One of the paramedics had intubated him and was breathing for him. They were grateful he wasn't conscious.

The sheer brutality it must have taken to inflict these wounds knocked Stephanie senseless. Who could have done this? _What_ could have done this? She was absolutely horrified. Jim wrapped his arms around her and they looked on sadly as Chris was loaded into the ambulance.

Shortly thereafter, Daphne returned to them and they went to the hospital. Daphne gave her mother the phone number of Chris' mother to call her and let her know what happened. Stephanie didn't look forward to that phone call. They arrived at the hospital and tried to make themselves comfortable in the ER waiting room which was thankfully empty. Daphne was leaning against her father who had his arm around her shoulder. She was past the point of sobbing but tears silently made their way down her face.

It wasn't long after they arrived at the hospital that a woman in her late thirties burst into the waiting room looking frantic, tears in her eyes. She spotted Daphne and rushed over and they embraced. The woman began sobbing and asked Daphne to tell her everything.

"Oh Daphne, I'm so glad you two had plans! Who knows how long he would have stayed there if-if . . . " and she burst into tears again.

"It's gonna be okay Michelle. The doctors will be out here to talk to us soon."

"Who could've done this to my little boy? Roy's been put away!" Michelle couldn't let go of Daphne, she needed something to hold onto. Daphne didn't mind, she felt the same way.

"I don't know . . ."

A few minutes later a doctor entered the waiting room looking for Ms. Minor. Michelle hadn't bothered changing her last name after the divorce.

"Yes? That's me. You have permission to speak to these people as well." Michelle said, gesturing towards the Powell family.

"We're doing the best we can but your son has suffered extensive injuries. Massive internal bleeding, organ failure, severe blood loss, and a broken neck, just to name the worst of the injuries. I'm afraid the prognosis is looking grim right now."

"You have to save him! You can't let my baby die!" Michelle dissolved into hysterics, collapsing to the floor sobbing, "No, no, no, please God, don't take my baby!"

"I'm sorry Ms. Minor, we'll make sure your son gets the best care and I'll keep you updated." The doctor left.

Daphne turned to her mother and Stephanie didn't have to be a telepath to know what she was going to ask. The desperation in her eyes said it all.

"Mom, the trilsettum, it could help him like it helped his dad. Please!"

Stephanie knew she couldn't say no. As a doctor and scientist and given what she knew about Chris' condition, Stephanie knew he was beyond the help of a regular hospital. But she was afraid of the unintended consequences. What would the side effects be?

"Alright Daphne, but only if his mother consents knowing the potential consequences of what the serum could do to him. Go talk to Michelle while I make some calls to Global Tech."

"Oh Mom, thank you!" Daphne hugged her mother then turned to talk to Michelle. Jim looked at his wife.

"Are you sure about this?"

"No, I'm not. But I am sure this is the only chance Chris has. We'll just have to be careful, keep an eye on him."

-A Little While Later-

"So this serum, it could heal him? Completely?" Michelle asked.

"Yes, but there are side effects to the serum. It can alter behavior - enhance what's already there and sometimes that can be disastrous. Your ex-husband is an example of the serum gone wrong." Stephanie said.

"But it's the only chance my son has for a full recovery?" Michelle looked at Stephanie. Stephanie hesitated before answering.

"Yes."

"Let's do it." Michelle regarded Stephanie gratefully, knowing what she was asking of the other woman.

"I've already called Global Tech facilities. They're preparing a room for Chris now. I will notify the doctors here to prep Chris for transport. When we get him to Global Tech medical facilities we are going to need to get his adrenaline levels up - that's what will ensure the effects of the serum are permanent. But you should know, the serum is only going to heal the physical wounds."

Michelle just nodded. She wanted to murder the bastard that did this to her son. The doctors had told them just what exactly had happened to Chris - a severe beating, mutilation via whipping and cutting, plus the urination. Michelle had been horrified when they told her that they had to use a rape kit, just in case Chris had been molested too. But she had breathed a small sigh of relief to learn her son's attacker hadn't violated him in that way at least. Small consolation though. Chris had been violated and humiliated in every other way possible. Michelle sighed, setting aside her rage for now. Chris' health was all that mattered at the moment.

It wasn't long before they had Chris loaded onto a chopper headed to Global Tech medical facilities. Michelle and Stephanie rode with him in the chopper; Jim and Daphne drove. The flight was short, less than a half hour and when they arrived the medical staff at Global Tech was ready and waiting. By the time they got Chris settled into a room Jim and Daphne had arrived. Stephanie was dressed in scrubs and a lab coat pulling on a pair of latex gloves. Katie was ready at her side.

"Let's get started."

A/N: Well, there's chapter two. I know, kind of a filler, but this felt like a good place to end it. Plus it's not like chapter three won't be up soon anyway. Hope you enjoyed it and please review!

-Silver


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: Hurray, next chapter! What do you think the trilsettum will do to Chris? Read and find out!

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own these characters or make a profit from this story.

Colossus - Chapter Three

Chris lie in a bed at Global Tech facilities, still unconscious. They had not bothered to dress him yet, but did cover his lower half with the bed sheets and blanket.

"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to send you guys out while we do this."

Michelle, Daphne, and Jim stepped out of the room, each grateful for the glass wall they could watch through. Stephanie flipped a switch so that they could also hear what was going on.

"His adrenaline levels still haven't lowered since the attack, which is good because we no longer risk further injury by trying to raise them. All we have to do is inject the serum."

Katie handed Stephanie a hypo filled with a bright green fluid. Katie applied a tourniquet to Chris' upper right arm and swabbed his elbow with an alcohol wipe to clean it.

Stephanie inserted the needle into Chris' elbow and pushed the syringe down slowly as Katie released the tourniquet. Once the syringe was empty she removed the needle and applied pressure with a cotton ball. Katie put a band-aid over the cotton ball and then they both stepped back and waited. It didn't take long for the serum to take effect.

Michelle gasped and her hand flew to her mouth, "Look!"

From what they could see Chris' injuries were beginning to heal. Bruises disappeared, cuts closed, welts got smaller and smaller until his skin returned to normal. Even his nose snapped back into place. But his hair did not grow back, it remained at various lengths from super short to it's original length.

Stephanie's holographic body scanner showed the same on the inside. Organs healed, returning to normal size, his ribs knitting back together to form a prober rib cage. His body was creating new blood cells at an extraordinary rate to replace those lost. The vertebra in his neck healed and so did his spinal cord, his body giving a small jerk as it did so. All of them could not believe the miracle they were witness to. There was not even a single scar left on his skin. The only evidence of the attack was his choppy hair, dried blood, and urine.

Chris gave a loud gasp and his eyes flew open. He sat up and grabbed his head, whimpering, eyes shut tight.

"Make it stop. Please stop hurting me! I don't want to hurt anymore!" Chris was groaning and curled up. Stephanie approached him.

"Chris? It's okay, you're safe now. No one's going to hurt you." She put a comforting hand on his back but Chris shoved her away, knocking the breath out of her. She and Katie shared a look.

"Don't touch me!"

"Get the restraints, he's having a melt down. We don't want him to hurt himself!"

Katie ran to get the restraints as Stephanie tried to talk him down.

"Chris? Listen to me, it's Stephanie, Daphne's mom, okay? No one's going to hurt you."

Chris didn't seem to be listening. He had climbed out of the bed and retreated to a corner of the room, curled up and whimpering. He was either unaware of or didn't care about his nakedness. Katie returned with the restraints and attached them to the bed. She then tried to approach Chris.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." As she got closer, Chris kicked wildly, knocking her across the room. The breath was knocked out of her but she remained uninjured. She and Stephanie tried to approach Chris again but this time Stephanie waved Jim in for help. Jim approached first, although warily, remembering his fight with the boy's father.

"I'm sorry we gotta do this kid." Jim grabbed Chris' arm and pulled him towards himself so that he could get behind Chris. He wrapped his arms around Chris' shoulders, locking his arms. Chris yelled and struggled against Jim but he could not break away. When he realized he couldn't escape Chris collapsed into tears, begging Jim to let him go.

"Please, I'm sorry. Just let me go. Please let me go. Don't hurt me anymore, Dad. Please don't hurt me. I'm so sorry, just let me go."

Jim's heart broke. He felt terrible for doing this to the kid. This was not the Chris he knew, definitely not. This was not the young man that protected his daughter at gun point. This was not the young man with just a troubled past but good heart. This was someone who was broken. And Jim feared the kid might not get fixed.

With Chris in Jim's secure arms they managed to get him back into the bed and into the restraints. Chris resumed his struggle, pushing and pulling, begging to be left alone. Michelle and Daphne looked on in tears, their hearts breaking at the sight. Stephanie had no choice but to sedate Chris for the time being; his body went slack and he welcomed the oncoming darkness.

-Ten Minutes Later-

Jim, Stephanie, Daphne and Michelle sat in the room next to Chris' hospital room. It was a small room with a small table and few chairs.

"It's like he didn't understand anything. Like he wasn't even here."

"That's because he wasn't Daphne. Chris has suffered a severe trauma and his mind is stuck in that moment of suffering."

"How do we get him out of it?"

"We can't Michelle. Unfortunately, mental healing is up to the patient. He has to have the will to move forward. All we can do is be there for him."

They were all silent then, lost in their own thoughts.

It was decided that Chris would remain at Global Tech until he was better, no longer a danger to himself or others. Stephanie refused to keep sedating him as it would only keep him from healing, allowing him to escape from his problems. Chris didn't speak and wouldn't allow anyone near him, let alone touch him. He was stuck in Hell, constantly reliving what his father did to him. An endless cycle of pain.

The police had picked up prints from the mirror used to mutilate Chris. They were a match for Roy Minor. No one could believe it - they had thought when Chris said "Dad" that first night that it was just him rambling, putting a familiar face to his attacker. But now they knew for sure that it was Roy who had done this to Chris. But how had he gotten out of jail and how was he able to walk again? All they knew right now was that the attack on Chris was most likely revenge for putting him in jail in the first place. But Roy Minor had disappeared for the time being and everyone's focus was on Chris and his healing.

A couple of days after Chris' attack, Victoria snuck into Chris' room while he was sleeping. He was lying on his side, back facing her. He still had yet to bathe, refusing to move from his bed. Victoria approached silently, a hypo in her hand. Swiftly she grabbed Chris' neck and injected the hypo into the base of his skull. Chris jerked awake, grabbed is neck and turned around but no one was there.

Walking down the hall Victoria smiled to herself. _'Mission accomplished.'_

-One Week Later-

Chris had been in the hospital for several days now and had made no improvement. His mother and Daphne visited everyday. Daphne came by after school and Michelle came later in the evening after work. They would talk to Chris but he wouldn't respond, a blank look on his face. They didn't try to touch him, knowing he simply did not tolerate physical contact anymore.

Daphne arrived at her usual time, set her bag down beside his bed, and pulled up a chair for herself.

"Hey, missed you at school today. Friends have been asking about you. I just told them you've been sick. I figured you could tell them what happened, if you wanted to. When you get out of here, I mean . . . I really miss you Chris. It's only been a week but it feels like a year. It's so strange . . . you look fine, like you could just get up walk right out of here. Except your eyes, you're not there anymore, they don't gleam like they used to . . . "

She wanted so badly to hold his hand and so she decided to try.

"I'm going to try to hold your hand, Chris. I don't want to hurt you, I just want to hold your hand, okay?"

Daphne decided to do it quickly, to get it over with. She grabbed his hand and gasped as she was pulled into his mind. Daphne couldn't just see everything, she could _feel_ it too. She _was_ Chris, inside his mind and body, experiencing everything as he did - the punches, the whipping, the cutting, and worst of all Roy relieving himself and then breaking Chris' neck. She felt all of Chris' emotions too - fear, hate, shame, guilt, worthlessness. Daphne had to wrench her mind out and with a gasp she returned to herself, taking her hand away. She was breathing heavily and shaking badly. The things she had seen, no _felt_, it was no wonder why Chris was in his current state. Those memories would haunt her forever. _'Damn telepathy, should have seen that coming.'_

It was then that Daphne noticed Chris' arm. From fingertip to elbow it was covered in gleaming silver metal. She ran her finger along his forearm, it was smooth and warm, the metal acting as a second skin. It began to recede down his arm and soon it had disappeared. '_This must be an ability . . .'_

Throughout this whole ordeal, Chris hadn't moved, hadn't tried to pull away. He had felt a presence in his mind, a soothing one that evoked his true nature. But it had left too soon and he was back in Hell. Alone.

"I'm so sorry Chris. What you went through . . . no one deserves that. I'm so sorry." Daphne picked up her bag and left, glancing back at Chris sadly as she walked away.

A/N: There ya go, chapter 3! Hope you enjoyed and really hope you are kind enough to leave a review. Anyway, thank you for reading. 'Til next time!

-Silver


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Hey guys, back again for another chapter! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own these characters or make a profit from this story.

Colossus - Chapter Four

Victoria walked into her boss' office to report on the current mission. Mrs. X's office now resided in what was once Dr. King's office.

"Good evening, Ma'am. I have a status report for you."

"Go on."

"Mr. Minor was successful in getting the boy here to Global Tech. You were correct in assuming Stephanie would use the trilsettum on the boy. The trilsettum was also a success in healing the him; however, any abilities have yet to surface. I was also successful with the implant. All that remains is for the boy to return to normal. His weakened state of mind was an advantage to us with the implant - it's been easier to get deep into the child's mind and lay down roots for the program."

"Very good work, Victoria. Continue keeping an eye on the boy. Dismissed."

"Yes Ma'am."

-Next Day-

Daphne returned to Chris the next day after school. She had an idea in mind and couldn't wait to try it, although she wasn't sure it would work. But she knew she had to try to help Chris heal. Daphne began with her usual routine of chatting about her day but after that she reached for his hand, preparing herself. Daphne placed her hand on top of his and was again pulled into his mind. She focused herself as much as possible, trying to tear her consciousness out of his but remain in his mind. With much effort she finally tore herself away from him. Daphne was now a bystander in his memory and right now Roy had Chris in the hallway, beating him mercilessly. Daphne approached and grabbed Roy's hand then looked at Chris who seemed shocked. Roy was frozen.

"Daphne?"

"Chris, this isn't real. You're reliving a memory. You need to snap out of it."

"I can't, it hurts."

"He can't hurt you anymore Chris. Fight back."

By now the nightmare had progressed to the point where Roy and Chris were in the bathroom, Chris without his shirt and receiving a lashing from his father's belt.

"Chris, fight back! This isn't real!"

"I-I can't . . . I don't want to hurt anymore . . . I'm sorry Dad, please stop . . . " Chris was back in the throes of his nightmare, unable to fight back. Realizing her current method wasn't working, Daphne tried a new approach.

She approached Roy and took over his body. Suddenly Roy wasn't there anymore. It was just Daphne and Chris. He was whimpering on the floor, begging for it to stop. Daphne knelt down next to him.

"Shhh, it's okay. It's just you and me now. No more pain."

"Daph?"

"Yes, it's me."

Chris looked at her, unsure.

"This is just a dream Chris."

"Then why wouldn't he stop?"

"Because you thought it was real." Daphne scooted closer and put his head in her lap, her fingers messaging his scalp. "It's going to be okay now Chris, no one's going to hurt you anymore. You need to come back to us . . . to me." She continued to sooth him, stroking his hair and whispering gently. The more he relaxed the more he resembled his old self, no injuries, hair back to normal. He sat up and turned to Daphne.

"Thank you, thank you so much Daph." He had tears in his eyes and he kissed her, hard. It was a desperate kiss that he deepened, pushing Daphne to her back and resting between her legs. She returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they came up for air she smiled and placed a finger on his lips.

"It's time to wake up now, Chris. Don't keep me waiting." And with that, Daphne pulled herself out of Chris' mind. She had a surprise waiting for her on the other side.

Chris was smiling at her and holding her hand. His arms, chest, and neck were covered in silver metal. She gasped and smiled back at him, squeezing his hand in hers. The metal began to recede and soon it was gone completely.

"Wow."

Chris smiled and pulled her into a hug. He held her tightly and tears fell from his eyes as he whispered in her ear.

"Thank you so much Daphne. I love you."

"I love you too." Daphne replied, crying too. She lay in the bed beside him, arms around his neck, and they were quiet.

Chris had made the first step in recovery. A long road was still ahead of him but the first step was the hardest. He still didn't like being touched but he no longer freaked out or tried to pull away. Nightmares haunted him and he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night and it would take several minutes to calm him down afterward.

Daphne told her mother about the metal appearing on Chris' body. Stephanie also figured it to be an ability presenting itself. It actually made a lot of sense to her. The trilsettum had physically manifested Chris' core personality trait. He was a shield and a mask. He protected people he cared about but also hid behind the mask of a bad boy. Stephanie wanted to test his new abilities but didn't want to push Chris either. She decided to ask him after he was out of the hospital and if he was okay with it, they'd proceed then.

A week after Chris awoke from his catatonic state, Stephanie released him from the medical facility, sure that he was no longer a danger to himself. He returned to his mother's care and would be going back to school the following week.

Since his hair had not grown back Chris allowed Daphne to shave his head; he wasn't completely bald but it was pretty short. Daphne just kissed the top of his head and reminded him that it would grow back in time. On his first day back to school Daphne picked him up and gave him a ride. Michelle wasn't comfortable with him driving yet and Chris was okay with that for now. Daphne could tell he was nervous - a quick glance at him and she saw that his back was stiff and his whole body tense. He was staring out the window at the passing scenery.

Looking back to the road Daphne grabbed his hand, squeezing it. Chris tried not to flinch.

"It's going to be okay. I'm here and I'll be with you the whole time. Everyone thinks you've just been sick. I didn't tell them anything."

Chris took a deep breath, let it out, and nodded. They had arrived at the school. Everyone almost didn't recognize him with his short hair. Most students didn't give him a second glance on their way inside the building. His friends, Damon and Michael, approached smiling and high-fived him.

"Hey man, nice to see you're still alive. Musta been a nasty bug." Damon said.

"Ha ha, yeah, good to see you guys too." Chris had to force a smile to his face. He really didn't want to be here.

"Almost didn't recognize you with the new 'do. Need a change or something?" Michael asked.

"Something like that."

The guys could tell something was off - Chris seemed nervous and he was pale. They just chalked it up to him still getting over the bug. The bell rang and all of them went inside to the first class of the day.

-After School-

Chris was so glad when the day was over. All the noise of the kids in the hallway, people bumping into him, his inability to focus on his studies, everyone's whispers and stares. All of it was enough to put him over the edge. Daphne drove him home, both of them silent after he told her he didn't want to talk. She pulled into his mom's driveway and he got out of the car.

"Thanks Daph. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay . . . but Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow's gonna be a better day."

Chris gave her a small smile and turned to go inside.

"Goodnight Daph."

"'Night."

Chris walked inside as Daphne left. He dropped his bag next to the door and removed his shoes then headed to this bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he locked it since he was home alone. He collapsed on to his bed and sighed. He just couldn't help the feelings of shame and worthlessness bubbling up inside him. He just wanted to sleep forever. He closed his eyes and fell into a troubled sleep.

A/N: Fourth chapter done. Hope you enjoyed. Please review! The next chapter will be out soon. Tell me, what do you think of Chris' ability? I thought it kind of fit, but hey I'm the author, it's my idea, of course I think it's great. But I want to know what you think!

-Silver


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Woo hoo next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own these characters or make a profit from this story.

Colossus - Chapter Five

Victoria once again stood in Mrs. X's office awaiting instruction. She had given an update on the boy, that he had been released into his mother's care, had started school again and there was even word of an ability surfacing. In other words, everything was as it should to be.

"Very good Victoria. I believe the program has had ample time to settle in. Initiate it tonight when the boy's asleep. We will be done with the Powells very soon." The woman laughed softly and Victoria smiled.

"Yes Ma'am."

-Later That Night-

Victoria sat alone in a dark room, facing a blank computer monitor.

"Let's get this started shall we?" She said to no one in particular. She pressed a few keys on the keyboard activating the program she wanted.

'Ghost Program Activated,' the computer said.

-Chris' House-

It was well after midnight and Chris was sound asleep in his bed, snoring softly. _'Ghost Program Activated' _His eyes snapped open and he rose from his bed, put a pair of jeans and tank top on with his leather jacket over his tank. Chris quietly made his way out the front door and to his motorcycle. '_Go to the Powell house._' He straddled his bike and backed it down the driveway, starting it when he was a safe distance from his home.

He arrived at Daphne's home in no time and turned off his bike awaiting further instruction. '_Obtain Daphne Powell. Bring her to Global Tech. Ensure entire family follows you._' Chris approached the front door and rang the door bell. A couple of minutes later a tired-looking Jim opened the door.

"Chris? It's the middle of the night, what are you doing here?"

Chris didn't respond and Jim couldn't believe his eyes when Chris clenched his fists and metal ran up his arms and across his chest, sheathing his skin in armor. Chris pulled his arm back and hit Jim square in the jaw. Jim flew backward, hitting the wall opposite the front door, all the way across the living room. A dent was left in the wall and Jim was out cold. The commotion brought the rest of the Powells from their rooms. Stephanie spotted Jim and ran to him.

"Oh my god, Jim, honey are you okay?" She was lightly slapping his face, trying to get him to come around. Jim began to wake. J.J. turned a nasty glare towards Chris.

"What the Hell are you doing Chris?"

Chris didn't answer, his eyes locked on Daphne, who had just reached the bottom of the stairs. He approached quickly and grabbed her arm. Daphne looked into his eyes and realized Chris wasn't there, like he was sleep walking or something. She tried to pull away but his grip was firm. He began to pull her towards the front door while Daphne continued to struggle. She realized that she couldn't read his mind, all she got was static. He was closed to her.

"Chris, you're hurting me, let me go!" Daphne was just no match for his strength and he had gotten as far as the front foyer before a blur rushed past him and Stephanie stood in the doorway, blocking his path.

"Let go of my daughter, Chris."

Again he did not respond. Instead he shoved Stephanie out of his way. She stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. By the time she had regained her wits Chris had dragged a now unconscious Daphne to his motorcycle and placed her on it. Jim had recovered and followed J.J. out the front door who was currently helping his mother up. Chris joined Daphne on the motorcycle, sitting behind her with an arm wrapped around her waist. A part of him knew that didn't feel right but he ignored it. He started the bike and took off before Jim or J.J. could stop him. Stephanie was still too dazed from her fall to run after them. Instead they scrambled into their car to follow him.

There was little to no traffic this late at night so Jim had no problem catching up with Chris and tailing him. Stephanie recognized the route he was taking.

"He's heading towards Global Tech."

They all exchanged looks, knowing that this couldn't be good. Apparently their problems didn't end with the demise of Dr. King. Stephanie sighed, feeling like she should have known better.

"When I get my hands on that kid . . . after everything Daphne's done for him . . ." Jim growled, clenching the steering wheel and warping it. Stephanie remained silent unsure of what to say. Something wasn't right with Chris, obviously, but it remained to be seen whether he was acting on his own or not. She wanted to believe the latter. Maybe it was the trilsettum? Was he his father's son? Her gut said no, that wasn't it. The gears kept turning in her head and a theory clicked into place. What if Roy's attack wasn't just for revenge? What if he was supposed to attack him so badly that he could only be healed by Global Tech? What if Global Tech healed Roy in exchange for permanent abilities? But why did Global Tech want Chris? And her mind clicked again. To get to _them. _Chris was a link to their family. Which meant that this was-

"We're heading into a trap." Stephanie shared her theories with her family. They agreed that this was most likely a trap but they also agreed that they weren't going to sacrifice Daphne. They'd figure a way out of this.

They had arrived at Global Tech and Chris had stopped his bike, waiting. For what, they didn't know. A moment later the pavement before Chris lowered, forming a ramp that lead underground, underneath Global Tech. Stephanie had no idea this place existed. Chris pushed his bike forward down the ramp and the Powells followed. The ramp led to a large concrete hallway. Chris made a right turn into an extremely large room, as big as a football field with tall ceilings and brightly lit. On the opposite side of the room a concrete box protruded from the wall, a story above the ground floor. It had tinted windows. All of them guessed correctly that someone was up there, watching them and smiling.

Chris had dismounted his motorcycle and was carrying Daphne across the room towards the observation box. He gently lay her on the ground underneath the box and stepped away. He pressed a button on a control panel on the wall. A cylindrical forcefield surrounded Daphne who was beginning to stir. The forcefield went from ground to ceiling. Stephanie recognized the forcefields; a project one of her colleagues had perfected a couple of years ago. Nothing could touch it without disintegrating. She made sure to warn Daphne not to touch the walls unless she wanted to lose her fingers. Chris had gone still as if an 'off' switch had been flipped inside him.

Jim, Stephanie, and J.J. got out of the car and Jim started to make his way towards Chris. He stopped when a cold laugh boomed through the room.

"Good evening Powell family. So glad to have you where I want you." It was a woman's voice.

"What do you want?" Stephanie asked.

"Simple: your family, gone. You've been a thorn in the side of this company for far too long. Now it ends."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, you'll be glad to know your children won't be killed, their gifts are far too valuable. You and your husband; however, aren't so lucky I'm afraid. I'm going to enjoy watching you two die."

J.J. snorted and glared at the observation room, "Like my sister and I would ever work for you! You're delusional lady."

The woman just laughed, " My dear J.J., so smart yet so dull. You won't have a choice. The Ghost Program has worked so well on Chris here I dare say it will be no difficult task getting it to work on you and your sister. Chris has been an excellent test subject."

"You've got him under mind control? How?"

"It's quite simple really, after he broke of course. Early test subjects of the program fought too easily, their will too strong. So I sent his father to break Chris, mentally and physically and I must say he did a fabulous job! I also correctly guessed that you, Stephanie, would give him the trilsettum serum which was only an advantage to me. You put him right where I could get to him for the Ghost Program and even gave him new abilities to boot. With his will broken it was all too easy to control him. You were a tool to your own destruction. I really should thank y-"

"Shut up you heartless bitch!" Daphne screamed, rage fueling her, "How dare you do that to him!"

"I'll let that slide for now, you'll be mine soon. Chris, proceed."

Chris came alive again. He clenched his fists and silver spread from his hands up his arms, to his chest, neck, face, and even his clothes. He was a living Colossus. He charged towards Jim, fists ready.

"Chris, no!" Daphne screamed.

Jim braced himself for impact. Chris approached at an inhuman speed but Jim was ready. He caught Chris' fists and pulled, twisting and throwing him to the ground. Chris rose quickly and tackled Jim to the ground, throwing punches. Jim blocked them as best he could. J.J. rushed forward and tried to pry Chris off of his father. Chris elbowed him in the face and then grabbed his shirt. With almost no effort he tossed J.J. across the room and he skidded across the floor, coming to a halt next to Daphne. Another forcefield appeared surrounding J.J. Jim took this opportunity and swept Chris' feet out from under him. Jim tried landing some punches but Chris kept rolling out of the way. Not that it mattered, any he did land did nothing against the kid's iron hide.

Chris managed to get to his feet and clocked Jim in the face. Luckily Jim saw it coming and ducked just in time, grabbed Chris and tossed him across the room. He landed and skidded _into_ Daphne's cell. Jim was dumbfounded. He hadn't meant to throw the kid towards the forcefield, he wasn't trying to kill him. But somehow, and luckily, his armor protected him from that too.

Chris was dazed and his metal skin began to recede. Daphne took the opportunity to touch his skin directly without the armor's interference. She placed a hand on each side of his face and concentrated with all her will power, praying for this to work. Her mind met the static barrier but she pushed through it. Once inside there was nothing but darkness. Daphne was suffocating, the darkness consuming her. With the last of her breath she called out.

"Chris! Chris you have to fight it! Don't let it win!"

Just as she was about to be consumed completely the darkness began to recede. Daphne kept calling out to Chris, trying to find him. She spotted him in the shadows, the darkness holding him, dark tendrils holding his limbs in place. He wasn't awake but he seemed to be coming to. Daphne ran to him and tried to wake him, calling his name and tearing at the tendrils holding him. Chris groaned and his eyes opened.

"Daph? Where are we?"

"In your mind, keep fighting okay? Don't let the darkness take over!"

He looked at her sadly, all hope lost in his eyes. "I'm not worth this Daph. I'm not worth anything. Just let me be. It's better this way," the darkness further wrapped itself around his body, tightening it's hold. Daphne glared at him and pointed a finger in his face.

"You listen to me Chris. You _are_ worth something! You're worth everything to me!"

"But my dad, he said-"

"What he said doesn't matter! Please listen to me Chris!"

"Then why did he carve it into me?"

"What?"

"Look at my arm." Chris gestured towards his right arm and looked away. Daphne gasped. Bright crimson letters carved into his skin, swollen and angry-looking, glared at her. Tears filled her eyes finally realizing just how deep his scars were. The trilsettum may have taken the physical scars away but they were burned into his mind. With new resolve Daphne held his face in her hands and forced him to look at her.

"You listen to me Chris Minor. Your dad did this to you because he's a cold-hearted monster. You are not worthless. You have nothing to be ashamed of or feel guilty about. You are a wonderful man, a man I fell in love with and you're going to come back to me whether you want to or not." She kissed him then. A kiss full of passion and desperation. Soon, she felt the darkness loosening it's hold and his arms wrapped around her.

She broke the kiss and looked at him.

"I knew you could do it." And with that she wrenched herself out of his mind. She was panting heavily and had a splitting headache. But none of that mattered when she saw Chris open his eyes. He had come back to her. Chris smiled and sat up.

"Hey."

"Hey to you too."

"Daphne, what's going on?" Stephanie's question startled them both. They noticed that she, Jim, and J.J. were staring at them. Daphne just smiled.

"I brought him back to us." She and Chris rose to their feet, Chris donning his armor once again. On a hunch he grabbed Daphne's hand and the metal spread further, covering her body too, even her clothes. They passed through the forcefield unharmed. Chris did the same for J.J. too.

"Sorry lady, we're not going anywhere but home," Jim said, smiling up at the observation box.

An enraged scream came over the speakers.

"Oh no you don't!"

A hidden door slid open nearby and something, or rather some_one_ none of them expected, stepped out of the shadows. Roy Minor stood before them, an evil smile on his face.

"Where do you think you're goin'?"

A/N: Dun dun dun! Oh no, a cliffhanger! Yeah, whatever, not like the next chapter won't be up soon so don't be too mad. What do you guys think so far? Please review!

-Silver


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: Welcome to chapter six of Colossus. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own these characters or make a profit from this story.

Colossus - Chapter Six

"What are _you _doing here?" Jim asked, enraged.

"Just finishin' up some business," Roy said with a smile, gesturing towards Chris and the Powells, "You guys are the reason I work here now. I'd thank you 'n all but you also put me in jail." He was glaring at Chris who had moved back a couple of steps.

"You deserved it." Chris spoke softly, but his eyes were hard, glaring at Roy.

"What'd you say to me boy?" Roy moved towards him but the Powells formed a wall between them.

"Don't you go near him!" Stephanie snarled.

Roy glared at them, temper rising dangerously, "Move. Before I _make_ you."

The Powells stood their ground and Roy lost his temper. He moved to grab J.J. and Daphne but he was shoved away from them by two silver hands. Chris' body was literally steeling itself for this confrontation - everything but his face and clothes were covered. His face was set in determination. He had to do this, face this monster, or he'd always be looking over his shoulder, he'd always be afraid.

"You were right. You're not my father. You lost that right when you beat the shit outta me and left me for dead. I'm sorry I ever tried to help you. But I'm done feeling guilty."

"Well look who finally grew some balls." Roy smirked at Chris then charged at him. Chris landed a punch on Roy's cheekbone and would have shattered it if not for Roy's own superhuman abilities. His father did; however, go flying across the room and slammed into the far wall, leaving a dent. He slid to the floor, unconscious. Chris approached the man slowly, unsure.

When he got close enough Roy jumped up and tackled him to the ground. His punches did nothing to Chris, with his armor, which only infuriated Roy more. His punches became harder and wilder and he could finally feel the metal beginning to give. Cracks were appearing and the metal started to disappear. Before it was fully gone Chris managed to kick Roy off of him and took off running. Roy got up and charged after him.

Chris was close to the Powells when he felt Roy's arms enclose his waist and they tumbled to the ground. Before Roy could do anything else, Jim picked him up and held him up to the forcefields. Roy could feel his clothes burning and his skin was getting hot. His eyes went wide with fear and he couldn't struggle or else he'd wind up dead.

"You deserve no better than this Roy. After everything you've done, the damage you've caused, this would only be fair. But I'm not you. I'm not a killer." Jim said. It took all his willpower to keep from shoving Roy through the forcefield.

"I've got a better idea." Chris had gotten up and approached Jim and his father. "I'm going to make sure you never hurt anybody, ever again." He grabbed Roy's legs and forced them through the forcefield, to just above his knees. Roy screamed in agony as his flesh was burned away; the forcefield cauterizing the wounds, preventing him from bleeding out. Jim pulled him away from the forcefield and dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. Roy was unconscious due to the pain. Chris was staring at his father, all the hurt and anger evident in his eyes. Jim patted him on the shoulder.

"It's okay kid."

Chris nodded and they returned to the others. He and Daphne embraced, Chris burying his face in her shoulder.

"It's over. Finally over." She whispered.

An alarm started blaring with red lights flashing. They all looked up in confusion. They woman's voice came over the speakers once again.

"I've had it with this! You are _not_ getting away! I've activated the self-destruct mechanism for the lower facility. You will not be getting out alive!" She began to laugh, a sick twisted laugh, that sent shivers down their spines. The doors to the room shut, locking them in. There was no other way out.

"What do we do?" Daphne asked.

"That hidden door is too thick for Chris or I to break through . . ."

"The forcefields!" J.J. said.

"What?" Daphne asked.

"The forcefields will protect us from any debris - there's no way this entire bottom facility is going to crumble - main supports will be left behind to support the facility above! So we can use the forcefields to protect us from the debris." J.J. explained.

"Brilliant J.J. Chris can you help us get through the forcefields?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Chris' armor returned without even a scratch on it. "Sweet, self-healing armor." He helped Daphne, Stephanie, Jim, and J.J into the forcefield cells as the walls around them began to crumble. For a moment he considered letting his father get crushed but decided against it and pushed him into a cell as well. He meant to follow them but a thought struck him - what if something struck the forcefield control panel? He couldn't let that happen. Couldn't risk them being crushed to death, not after everything they'd done for him.

"Chris, what are you doing?" Daphne asked.

"I have to protect that control panel. If something hits it, it could turn off the forcefields and you guys could die!" He approached the control panel and dug his fingers into the wall as best he could. The metal was still covering his body and on another hunch he focused, trying to see if he could manipulate it. With a great deal of effort he felt the metal lift off his skin, peeling itself away. It formed a dome above him and the control panel, protecting them. It was taking all of Chris' power to hold the shield above him. His whole body was shaking from the effort.

Large chunks of concrete were falling from the ceiling, sparks from the torn wires were flying everywhere and it was now pitch black except for the pink glow of the forcefields. The noise was deafening. Daphne could no longer see Chris and was terrified he wasn't going to make it. She took the forcefields still working as a good sign but she wanted this to be over with so that she could find out for herself. Soon the rumbling stopped and the shaking died down but it was still pitch black. The forcefields were still intact and the Powells breathed a sigh of relief.

"Chris? Are you okay?" Daphne called out. There wasn't a reply until the forcefields shut down.

"Yeah, something hit my leg, but I'm fine." They heard shuffling, as Chris found his way around in the dark.

"So how do we get outta here?" Daphne asked.

"Well, I remember the general direction of the exit, but we'll have to dig. You up for it Chris?" Jim said. By now their eyes had adjusted to the dark and they could see at least a little bit.

"Sure, let's go."

Within an hour Chris and Jim had managed to move the debris, creating a path that lead to their way out. They piled broken slabs of concrete to form a staircase up to the ramp that had brought them down here. Feeling around the ceiling they found a small access hatch and they were free. Jim and Chris carried Roy out, the man still unconscious, something Chris was grateful for. They were all very happy to be alive and _very_ ready to go home. The sun still had not risen but the sky was changing from black to dark blue.

"Crap, I gotta get home before mom finds out I'm gone. She'll freak!" Chris began to panic.

"Don't worry about it kid. We'll call a cab and hopefully you'll get there before she wakes up." Jim assured him.

Jim called George for a ride saying he'd explain later. He also called a cab for Chris and they went their separate ways. Before heading home, Jim had George drop Roy off at the police station.

Chris managed to get home and back into bed before his mother got up. He breathed a sigh of relief and went straight to sleep. When the time came to go to school Chris feigned sick and Michelle let him stay home. Daphne came by after she left and took him to her house. She and J.J. had gotten the day off and Jim and Stephanie took the day off work as well. They all stayed and lounged in the living room for the day, just happy to be together as a family. Chris had never felt more at home in his life.

While watching television they learned that the CEO of Global Tech had died in a tragic elevator accident the previous night. They were shocked to say the least, but certainly not sorry to learn the woman got what was coming to her. Stephanie was also relieved, knowing that she would be able to continue working at Global Tech.

Within a couple of months things had returned to normal. Well, normal as things get anyway. Chris was still healing but had made significant progress. His nightmares were few and far between and he wasn't nervous around people anymore. He was secure in the knowledge that Roy was in jail and even if he ever got out would never be able to hurt him again. Since it was his senior year he had made plans to go to the community college and get through with the basics while he figured out what he wanted to do. His hair had grown back a little bit which made him happy but he couldn't wait for it to get longer.

He and Daphne were as happy as ever, the bond between them strong. She had saved him, seen through him, and gotten through to him in a way no one else could. He would never forget that. Her family welcomed him with open arms and Chris finally felt like life was looking up for him.

-The End-

A/N: Woo hoo, a whole story! In less than a week! Freakin' awesome!

I'm guessing that some of you might wonder about Chris' abilities so I'll try to explain them as best I can. Ever since I saw him on the show, I wondered what kind of ability would he have if given trilsettum? Since the serum amplifies core personality traits I thought long and hard about what makes Chris who he is as a character. And the conclusion I came to is that he is a shield, a protector of sorts. He protected his brother from getting caught with drugs. He protected his father even after he began drinking again and stealing. And of course he's protective over Daphne. But I also knew that I didn't want a psychic ability for him, like psionic shields like the Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four. No, he doesn't protect people like that. He protects them by wearing the shield or mask of a bad boy, which is why I physically manifested the ability with metal, like Colossus from X-Men. Plus I thought he'd look awesome like that. :D

I know the evolution of his ability (transference to another, manipulation of the metal) probably progressed rather quickly, especially compared to other characters - Daphne's took months. My reasoning for this is that he was constantly in crisis mode, which made it easier for him to amplify his abilities, like adrenaline can amplify strength for a normal human being. Daphne's abilities also evolved this way - when she and Chris were held at gunpoint her ability to manipulate minds appeared.

I really hope you enjoyed this story, I certainly enjoyed writing it. Please at least be kind enough to leave one review, I'm dying for feedback here, ha ha. Anyway, if you don't review that's okay, thanks for reading it.

-Silver


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